Jobs market at a crossroads: The fastest growing and declining careers

Posted by author February 1, 2025 Jobs

Spread the love

Euronews Business takes a closer look at the top growing and declining jobs, offering significant insights into global employment trends by 2030.

The labour market is constantly evolving, with some jobs disappearing and new ones emerging. Technological advancements play a crucial role in this transformation, creating a growing demand for new skills.

Did you know that 92 million jobs are expected to be displaced by 2030, while 170 million new jobs will be created? The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Future of Jobs Report 2025” reveals global employment trends, offering significant insights into the evolving job market.

The report finds that the global labor market is being reshaped by:

So, what are the top fastest growing jobs, and what skills will people need to secure them and which jobs are experiencing the largest declines?

The change is measured in both percentage terms and absolute terms, reflecting the growth or decline in the number of jobs. Each offers different, but valuable, insights into the trends.

Fastest growing jobs driven by technological advancements

According to surveyed executives from over 1,000 major global employers, the fastest-growing job roles by 2030, measured in percentage terms, are largely driven by technological advancements, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and expanded digital access.

The number of Big Data Specialists is expected to increase by 113% between 2025 and 2030, followed by Financial Technology (FinTech) Engineers (93%), AI and Machine Learning Specialists (82%).

In addition to the roles above, which are expected to grow by more than 80%, other technology-driven jobs dominate the list of fastest-growing roles. Over the next five years, executives anticipate increases in the following positions:

Software and Applications Developers (57%)
Security Management Specialists (53%)
Data Warehousing Specialists (49%)
Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Specialists (48%)
UI and UX Designers (48%)
Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers (46%)
Internet of Things Specialists (42%)
Data Analysts and Scientists (41%)

Clerical positions across various industries are declining

Clerical positions across different industries are expected to be among the fastest-declining roles by 2030, although their decline is slower than that of the fastest-growing jobs.

A third of postal service clerical workers (-34%) will be displaced, closely followed by bank tellers and related clerical workers (-31%).

Technological advancements, including AI, play a key role in job declines. For example, data entry clerks are expected to see a 26% decline as businesses increasingly digitise their operations. Similarly, one in five cashiers and ticket clerks (-20%) will be displaced as digital tickets and self-checkout systems become more widespread.

Some other declines include:

Administrative Assistants and Executive Secretaries (-20%)
Printing and Related Trades Workers (-20%)
Accounting, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Clerks (-18%)
Material-Recording and Stock-Keeping Clerks (-16%)
Door-To-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors (-14%)

Farmers needed: 35 million more jobs in agriculture

Examining the change in absolute terms offers valuable insights, as many people may prefer to see the actual number of jobs being created and displaced.

Farmworkers, labourers, and other agricultural workers overwhelmingly dominate the fastest-growing job list. In this sector, 49 million new jobs are expected to emerge, while 14.1 million will be lost, resulting in a net increase of 34.9 million jobs over the next five years.

With 92 million jobs expected to go and 170 million new jobs to be created, the net increase will be 78 million jobs. Of these, 35 million will be in farming and agriculture, accounting for 45% of total net job growth.

The chart above tracks total job increases, declines, and overall absolute growth. You can explore the details as we focus on net job growth.

Delivery and food

Delivery is another rapidly growing industry. An additional 9.8 million jobs will be created for light truck or delivery services drivers, while car, van, and motorcycle drivers—ranked seventh on the list—will see an increase of 4.1 million jobs.

Software and applications developers rank third, with a net increase of 6.7 million jobs.

The food industry is also a major contributor to job growth. An estimated 4.3 million additional jobs will be created for food processing and related trades workers, while food and beverage serving workers will gain 2.8 million jobs.

Nursing and care aides: No decline, only growth

Nursing professionals (3.1 million) and personal care worker (1.6 million) are also on the list. More importantly, these two roles will experience only job growth, with no expected decline in employment.

What is happening with Shop Salespersons?

Shop salespersons rank fifth among the fastest-growing jobs, with a net increase of 4.3 million. However, this growth comes from a total increase of 10.4 million jobs, countered by a decline of 6.1 million – making it the second most affected role in terms of job losses. This reflects ongoing shifts in the industry, demonstrating evolving roles and skill demands.

University and higher education teachers (1.9m) and secondary education teachers (1.6m) are other largest growing jobs in the top 15 list.

Cashiers and ticket clerks: One-Fifth of total losses

Clerk positions face the largest job losses by far over the next five years. By 2030, 16.3 million Cashiers and Ticket Clerks roles are expected to be displaced, accounting for 18% of total job losses. With a 2.7 million increase in these roles, the net loss will be 13.7 million.

Administrative Assistants and Executive Secretaries rank second, with a net loss of 6.1 million jobs.

There are other clerical positions in the top largest declining jobs: Material-Recording and Stock-Keeping Clerks (-2.64m), Accounting and Payroll Clerks (-1.65m), and Data Entry Clerks (-0.5m).

Graphic Designers, with a net loss of 0.36 million jobs, are also on the list. AI is playing an increasingly dominant role in the industry, evidently reshaping the demand for designers.

Beyond job shifts, required skills are also evolving. On average, 39% of workers’ current skill sets are expected to be transformed or become obsolete by 2030.